Two Drone First Responder (DFR) units will soon join the Bettendorf Police Department.
The Bettendorf City Council approved the $200,000 purchase from Flock Safety on Tuesday, April 21, through a two-year contract.
These unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with cameras and can be deployed autonomously within minutes to relay real-time video back to responding officials.
Police Chief Doug Scott said the department was motivated by the ability to improve situational awareness before officers arrive on scene.
“We really saw the value in seeing first and then making better decisions as a result of that, and I think that’s something really important that we hear a lot about from our community,” Scott said.
DFR software will be connected to the city’s 911 system, notifying officers when qualifying calls may authorize the drone’s launch.
Qualifying emergencies could include vehicle crashes, missing persons and fleeing suspects. Scott said the drones will be used across safety departments, also responding to fires and natural disasters.
While the BPD prepares to introduce this new technology, privacy protections are also being considered. Flying at around 200 feet, the drones will be marked with fluorescent yellow decals. Their cameras will remain pointed toward the skyline until arriving at a specific emergency scene.
“We’re not using it to randomly patrol neighborhoods in place of our patrol vehicles and our patrol officers,” Scott said. “[We are] just trying to be very thoughtful of the deployment for the specific purposes that can provide better deescalation, better resource allocation [and] preferably safer outcomes for all parties involved.”
The drones will also not be used during First Amendment activities without a defined threat. Other transparency efforts include a public flight log featuring maps and reasoning for each deployment.
Before the drones can become operational, the department must complete several implementation steps, including acquiring the drones and installing equipment, obtaining Federal Aviation Administration approval, integrating the software throughout the city’s systems and training BPD staff.
Scott said the drones are expected to become operational in approximately two to three months.
“We’re hoping through our program here over the next two years that we’ll have some good data to assess the call volume, the successes, any pitfalls or challenges we didn’t anticipate,” Scott said.